Warner Brother’s upcoming The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson begins a fourth film era of the character going back to 1989. The Caped Crusader’s film history has always delivered big numbers for the WB. The previous iteration, Ben Affleck’s gritty, aged Dark Knight was one of the more well-received components of the DCEU outings. Affleck had been expected to write, direct and star in a solo film, but plans changed, and Affleck could no longer commit to directing, turning the project over to Cloverfield director Matt Reeves.
Reeves did not work within the confines of the DCEU. When Affleck decided to leave the project completely, it allowed Reeves to tell his own Dark Knight story. In his interview with Empire Magazine, Matt Reeves discusses why he needed to make a Batman movie outside of the DCEU.
Reeves related that he emphasized that he would need to be able to create an iteration with a personal aspect to it. He didn’t want to have his version beholden to another director’s vision. So he got to make his film the way he wanted; outside of the DCEU. According to producer Dylan Clark:
“Warner Bros. has a multiverse where they’re exploring different ways to use the character … We don’t get involved in that. Matt is interested in pushing this character to his emotional depths and shaking him to his core.
Beware the Batmen
Including the young Bruce Wayne in 2019’s The Joker, WB now has 4 active Batmen in their cinematic endeavors. They also have a plethora of Caped Crusaders appearing or implied on television. That includes in-development projects like Titans, Batwoman, and the upcoming Gotham Knights. It looks to me that Warner Brothers sees Batman as the Goose laying box office gold eggs. But other than selling tickets and action figures, Warner Brothers doesn’t seem to have a long-range plan for Batman.
WB clearly envies the success of Marvel Studios and Disney. While they don’t want to try to replicate Disney’s model for success, their method does give them more flexibility. It also runs the risk of confusing a portion of their desired audience. At the same time, they could alienate audiences that enjoy the larger tapestry of a shared universe. Will audiences accept 3 different Batmen in 2 different movies in less than a year? We’ll find out in 2022.
THE BATMAN
The Batman arrives in theatres on March 4, 2022. It stars Pattinson, along with Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as the Penguin, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone. According to the film’s official synopsis, The Batman takes place during “Year Two” of Bruce Wayne being Batman.
Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth, Lt. James Gordon — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens.
When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle (aka Catwoman), Oswald Cobblepot (aka the Penguin), Carmine Falcone, and Edward Nashton (aka the Riddler). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.
The Batman is expected to be in theaters only (sorry for those expecting it to be released on HBO Max) on March 4, 2022.
